The Drinking Resort with the Skiing Problem

What is a girl to do? For that matter what is anyone to do? A resort with no snow and the foreboding words of the local prophet of doom ringing loud and clear in one's ears "it is never going to snow again".

Two weeks into Season, with the Premiere Neige under way and the resort still closed (bar the odd one or two lifts on the Solaise) what are the viable options of the discerning Skier / Boarder or Saisonaire? I boldly set off to find out.

Pay your money and make your choice

Well firstly, the Grande Motte. Tignes' 365 day skiing on the Glacier is open for business at a mere 200ffr odd a day. Busy, hard and tracked out it remains the only option for the snow deprived punter (although the lift queues are up to an hour long).

Yet for the seasonal worker dependent on the 973fr a month Espace Killy pass this is hardly the most financially acceptable way to satisfy an addiction. Without the links over to Tignes open, one still has to pay full wack for the pleasures of the Laisse and the Double M and 5 days on the Motte is equal to a month's pass, and also equates to a fair few pints in Pacific. Um… I don't think so.

I chose alcohol...

So on to option two, rather splendidly demonstrated by the endearing flatmate 1 at 1220pm this afternoon when I rang him for a favour. In reply to my cheery "a'wight darlin'" I received the mumbled reply

"Hmmm, aaargh, uugh"
"Are you sleepy?"
"F**king hangover from hell, what time is it?"
"Nearly 1230pm - you shouldn't be in bed"
"$**& bollocks, shit. Oooowww my head".

Now, there is nothing untoward about Flatmate 1's language or its content, but this is a guy dedicated to first lifts and first tracks, and even on a really bad weather day he is NEVER in bed at 1230pm.

He may however be in Fats with a large breakfast and a pint. So the subject of option two is made clear. Drink, and lots of it.

Val d'Isere's saisonaires have turned to Booze in a big way and are worshipping their newfound (?) hobby with gusto and reverence (at the expense of a few kidneys and livers).

Not another Opening Night!

Dick's Tea Bar opened recently to one of its busiest nights in years, with thirsty punters ramming both bars, the floor and the tables, turning a blind eye to the dearer drinks prices (although to be fair to Dicks this is resort wide rather than merely unique), and extolling the virtues of vodka (or Dom Perignon if you are one particular business man).

As yet another glass of fizz was placed under my blurring vision and I raised it to my lips my stomach churned and I saw the light. Bed and quick, so although I could tell you all about the debauched evening, the strippers, the pole dancers in the Members Bar…it would all be a lie.

The Pacific Bar (who seem to have employed the majority of last season's Dick's Staff), not to be outdone by their rivals up the road had I think three "Opening" nights (and I think my recollections of all are a little shaky).

Their first was in celebration of the opening of the Front Bar, their second (with free wine and nibbles) was in celebration of the fantastic refurbishment, and their third, with Contraband back in Situ was just, well, in celebration of the ability to celebrate I suppose.

Eating Bananas in the dark

I won't keep you much longer except to report on Banana's welcome to Season 01/02. Settling down to dinner with half of her Majesty's Army in varying stages of inebriation downstairs, the lights went out, not once, not twice but three times.

Eating dinner in the dark was a new experience for most (although I am sure the boys below were armed with night vision and a sense of sardonic humour), and after various cries of " Ricky - did you pay EDF or throw the bill away?", Scott, armed with a head torch and various tools entered into armed combat with the fuse box and won, demonstrating that all is well in the world, and you don't need glitz, glamour and modern technology to make a truly great bar.

I must stop there before I make you either insanely jealous of the hedonism of mountain living or cringe at my inability to drink, just pray for snow before Liver Cirrhosis kicks in.

And you never know I might have something more interesting to say rather than talk of booze and its delightful effects on the human psyche.

Report from Izzy Rogers - Natives Resort Reporter in Val d'Isere

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